Prodigy
by EmbraceDiversity
Summary: ...He cannot deny that it hurts him to see his son like this. No six year olds eyes should look that haunted. "Which is more precious to you and your cousin, your clan's reputation or my mother's life?" NejiHina. Complete. Image by Autumngoose.


AN: This idea randomly came to me last night and wouldn't leave me the hell alone until I wrote it. As usual, this hasn't been beta'ed although I have read over it a few times. If there's some glaring issues lemme know.

This is a NejiHina (completely Neji's POV) fic and it's pretty angsty for what I usually write. Rated M because this is me we're talking about and it's better to err on the side of caution. It's kinda lemony? Eh.

**Prodigy**

It is hot in her bedroom from their body heat, he can feel little beads of sweat drift down his back and his arms as they support his weight. A pleasurable shiver races up his spine at the feel of her delicate hands roving over his body, fingers trailing along his lower back. He dips his head, long brown hair parting like dark streams over his shoulders, ends pooling on the pillow and the bed. Her gasps and moans only make him harder, even though he is already inside of her. Despite wanting to lose control just this one time he cannot, so he remains silent, his breaths harsh through parted lips.

Slender, pale legs are wrapped around his waist, keeping him close to her. Looking down at her beautiful face he wants to tell her how much he loves the way her pale skin flushes, how his heart pounds while looking into those pale eyes heavy with desire. He does not, he cannot, so he tries to show her for this one night, the first and last night he will ever have with her.

She gasps his name and he feels nails dig into skin, her hips bucking. He bites back the moan that threatened to emerge and complies with her silent request by moving faster, delving harder and deeper into her. He loves her, gods does he love her, and he hates it that this is it, that they will share no more moments after this. He will never again hear her whisper his name or smile that special smile just for him.

Her inner muscles clench around him and he struggles to keep control, to ensure she is pleasured before him. It is difficult, it is not his first time, but it is hers and the sensation is much more intense and the feelings they share for each other only heightens it all. Then her back arches and her mouth parts. He can hear the sound threatening to emerge and he swallows it with a deep kiss, his lips moving over hers with abandon. He is glad for it, for as she reached her climax the pressure became too much for him to bear and even he could not keep completely silent as wave after wave of pleasure washed through him hard, all coherent thoughts shattered as his body continued to move automatically.

And then they lay there, their breaths heavy; their bodies heavily sated. Her hands move through his long hair with reverence and he sees it there, the love in her eyes. He wants to tell her, he wants her to hear those three words come from his lips, but he isn't strong enough. He knows if he does it will only make the pain that much more unbearable, but she seems to understand.

Yes, she always did understand him, even better than he understood himself at times.

He burns her face into his memory, that exact expression. Once more he bends down to kiss her softly and then he is moving away from her, hating the cold that hits him, hating the fact that their moment is over. But he cannot stay any longer or it will only make things worse for the both of them.

Without a word he dresses and does not look at her, he doesn't want to see the look on her face. When he is finished he turns to the door and pauses. He inclines his head in her direction but does not look at her.

"Goodbye, Hinata-sama." Neji says and leaves, not once looking back.

----

The prodigy's mind and body were on automatic, not wanting to focus on how beautiful the wedding was, how happy the matchmakers were, how beautiful _she_ was. He couldn't even look into her eyes and he almost laughs darkly at the irony. From the beginning it had been her and he had merely followed, too afraid to cross that threshold between guardian and lover on his own. She had coaxed him with soothing words and loving smiles, she easily told him her feelings. He felt his heart break when she smiled at him sadly that day, accepting her fate with not a tear to show for it.

Really, who was the stronger one?

Hours go by in seconds for him as he goes through the motions required for the ceremony, his face a stoic mask. He feels dead and he probably looks dead. He had seen no light in his eyes this morning upon awakening in his own bed; faced with the fact that it really was happening, he really was losing her.

He is not sure if she smiled when she faced her new husband, a powerful lord that owned land in the country side within the land of Fire. Neji takes in the man once, his light blue hair and sharp green eyes. To the genius he looks like a cat that just caught the canary and so he must look away lest his anger consume him.

Then it is over and she is gone, gone to a foreign home with a husband she doesn't even like much less love. She does not write him, he understands that it is because she cannot. All he has now are memories, her soft smile; warm gaze. Years go by and eventually even her scent fades from the house and he feels empty, so damn _empty_. Joy is no longer a concept he can understand, a feeling he can no longer experience. Only a few notice at first, then the years move and he continues to become more of an empty shell. A turtledove within its cage; separated from his mate. He stops smiling, he stops trying. She is gone and he doesn't even feel like half of a man. He cannot move forward, he cannot go backward. He remains stagnant, incomplete.

Six years later he finds himself staring numbly at the beautiful compound he never thought he would ever lay eyes on. He slips up only once, hesitating when his clan leader and cousin walks inside and he is expected to follow. It is only slight and it is only noticeable to the trained eye but for a Hyuuga, it spoke volumes.

When he sees her again he almost leaves the room, ready to find the man, dig him from his grave to kill him again. She is broken; her eyes dead, her body too thin, a dying caged bird. She is a widow now at twenty-six, her husband has died from a disease that was prevalent within his family. The lands and title are to go to his only son, Rashi. Neji can't help but to smile at the name, understanding the significance. It also makes him apprehensive, as it can only mean one thing. He knows her too well to believe differently.

Those pale lavender eyes settle on him and for a moment he sees it, he sees the light that had almost been extinguished. The healers and the servants deny it but both Hanabi and he can tell that even just before the man died he had been beating his wife. It is painful, it eats at him. _Failure_. That is how he feels when he looks at her. He failed her. He failed to protect her. He was unable to be there for her when she needed him the most. How many nights did she cry herself to sleep? How long did it take before she eventually retreated in herself, when even the blessing of her son wasn't enough to hold up her fading spirit?

The funny part is, he _still_ cannot do anything. Her son is now lord of these lands and if he does not want to leave, she cannot leave. He cannot pull her into his arms and take her home, he cannot comfort her the way he wishes because she is still not his, will never be his. He hears his cousin and clan leader mutter quite a few curses darkly as she looks down at her older sister.

"Are you Hyuuga Neji?"

He turns to the voice, his gaze stoic but inquisitive. A maid stands before him, thin and jittery; as if afraid she would be beaten if she so much as twitched incorrectly. Once more his anger rises; once more he is forced to control himself. The man is already dead; he has to take solace in that.

"I am." He says politely, making sure that his stance is non-threatening. The woman bows and then turns, motioning for him to follow.

"The young master wishes to speak to his distant relatives one by one. He has asked for you first."

Various thoughts emerge in his sharp mind but he says nothing and follows obediently, playing the role of the servant. He is led through ornate hallways which boast the previous lord's wealth and vanity. He is not impressed.

"He is in here, Hyuuga-sama." She says and bows low, backing away. Ensuring that his mask is firmly in place, he opens the door, only guessing at what he will see.

The child is standing, back facing him as he looks out the window. Long, dark brown hair is secured in the same fashion as his. The boy is wearing rather expensive looking silks, dark purple in color. As befitting of his 'station', the man kneels down on the pillow provided for him and bows respectfully. The boy still does not turn to him.

"You are Hyuuga Neji?" the tiny voice asks and already he knows that this child is not normal. His tone is high and child-like but it holds authority and an understanding of exactly who he was supposed to be.

"Yes, Kimura-sama." he says it low and calm, his face remaining composed despite the fact that his heart wants to burst out of his chest.

The child turns and he is almost unable to hide his shock. Save for the lavender eyes the child before him is the spitting image of himself as a boy. It is rather surreal, to see him and yet his forehead is unmarked, unlike his. He should have suspected this, he had expected this, but it meant nothing when faced with the reality of the situation. His gaze locks with the new child-lord, both males taking each other in, observing, calculating.

The boy's eyes widen only slightly initially before his face shifts back into a mask of indifference. He sees it; this child is intelligent, highly intelligent. He can tell that the boy is going through his mind, sorting out the information before speaking. They are like this for a few minutes before the boy's mask cracks first with a thin and bittersweet smile.

"You are my father, aren't you."

It is not a question and so he does not take it as one. The older male does not answer, if the child is anything like he had been, he would begin to express himself soon enough.

"He believed it," the boy continued "he believed that I was his, even though I look nothing like him. He had bedded mother the night of their marriage, the timeframe matched. My eyes are my mother's, my looks…" he closed his eyes and chuckled softly, understanding the irony of the situation. The child's voice is too old, has been through too much.

The child sounds like him after his father had died. It is there, just beneath the surface. Frustration. Rage. Pure, unbridled rage.

"It is said that there are times when a child will look more like a distant relative…and that is what they used to explain me." The boy sounded amused by this. "Hyuuga genes are strong; thusly it is only natural that I look like this; that is what they said." The small lord's gaze hardens "You cannot deny my claim."

He closes his eyes briefly "Then I will not. It is as you say." _You are my son._

"I am going to tell them the truth," he announces, "I have no intentions of residing over this land."

"What?" now the father's mask breaks, surprise evident "If you do that, Hinata-sama will be branded as –"

"Have you taken a good look at her?" the boy demands, his voice rising. His tiny fists clench and this child looks and acts so much like him it is painful. Was that how he had looked? Eyes so full of frustration, anger and hatred? Even though he has been absent in the child's life for six years, he cannot deny that it hurts him to see his son like this. No six year olds eyes should look that haunted. "Which is more precious to you and your cousin, your clan's reputation or my mother's _life_?"

Once again Neji remains silent, allowing the child his deserved anger. He can see those large eyes of his son blinking back tears, trying to keep in control of his emotions and actions. The child sees too much, he understands all but he is still _just a child_. "You have not been here," the child's voice is low and to his surprise the father can see it, can see the chakra filled veins surrounding the child's eyes. With no formal training he has already unlocked the Byakugan at the age of six?

_The boy…is a prodigy. A genius._

Like his father.

"I have grown up listening to the pleas and sobs of my mother nightly," the boy continues "I have watched her smile slowly fade, her body weakened." He takes a deep, shaky breath "She doesn't belong here, this place where she's known nothing but pain and suffering. That bastard is _dead_; I don't care what happens to this place or to these lands. I am Hyuuga, born and bred. I will not accept any other type of life."

His expression turns hard and determined and he raises his chin, looking like a true Hyuuga "I activated the Byakugan a year ago; I will make it so that everyone will be too focused on me to worry about what my mother did or did not do. I will become an asset, I will become a tool, but I will not stay _here_ another day." And now his face is red with the strain of keeping back his tears, even though they are already falling "Please," the child is shaking "you are the only one who can make my mother smile again. Turtledoves mate for life they say…she'll die without you. I…I can't…I can't do anything…I've tried…I really have tried…"

"Rashi," he says calmly "I could never be ashamed of you." _It is fine to cry in front of me._

His arms move instinctively around the boy as he launches himself against his father, tiny hands clinging to the fabric of his robes as he cries. They are tears of pain, tears of joy, tears of frustration, tears of _relief_. He pulls the child as close as he dares without hurting him and lets him cry as hard and as loud as he wants. How many countless times in the past had he wished that someone would do this for him, to simply hold him while he suffered?

Ah yes, Hinata had…until he had pushed her away in anger.

He holds his son for a very long time, even after the tears have stopped. They are practically perfect strangers yet their bond was as strong as if he had been there the entire time.

"Fate," the boy whispers against his father's chest "deals cruel hands sometimes."

The father smiles thinly "Yes, but we can always take that hand and make it into something better. We don't always have to keep what is given to us." Putting the boy at arm's length he looks down at him, at this child who is too intelligent and has seen more than a child his age should. "You are the lord of this manor," he explains to the boy "if this is what you want, you will need to speak to the clan head, as your station allows." Gently he puts a hand through the boy's hair "Do not worry, Hanabi-sama had every intention of bringing you and Hinata-sama back to Konoha with us if at all possible, but you are intelligent enough to approach her as a political equal. Work together to settle things properly, but do not be irresponsible. You cannot just abandon this land and the servants here, they will need a place to go and turning them out into the streets is unacceptable behavior for a leader."

There was silence and then the little one bowed his head. "I…I understand." The child-lord said "Will you stay here, father? Will you stay here until we can go home with you?" it was barely a whisper.

Slender fingers brushed along the boy's unmarked forehead "Yes. I am in your life to stay…my son." Gently, he presses his forehead against the child's "Starting tomorrow, you and I will begin training." He smiled when the child almost jumped back, his expression a mixture of surprise and joy "Tonight, we will focus on making your mother smile once more."

----

It was after he remained with his son until the child fell asleep that he went to her. He did not use gentle words when he was finally alone with her. Her eyes were looking at him but he could tell she was not seeing him. Despite everything, her kimono is pristine and her hair is done up perfectly; she looks like a slightly bruised thin doll. She is in her bedroom, slumped against the wall, her hands shaking slightly.

Within moments he is by her side, pulling her close to him. He takes in her scent, gods how he had missed her scent, and kissed her softly.

"Forgive me." He whispers against her lips "I should have done more to protect you…to protect him. He is strong but he worries about you. He loves you and, unlike myself apparently, he would do anything for you." He closes his eyes and smiles "That strength, it is from you, do you know that? You have always been strong, stronger than all of us." He kisses her again, trailing along her cheek and to her ear "I do not deserve you but…I love you. There has not been a day that has gone by where I have not thought of you. I swear to you, even if I must sacrifice my own life I will protect you and our son. I am sorry for failing you, for failing him, for being a coward." His arms tightened "Forgive me for being the weak one."

A cold, slender hand brushed along his cheek. Pulling back he looks down at the woman he loves, her eyes shining, tears streaming down her cheeks. The smile is there; it is thin and it is weak, but beneath the pain and the suffering she is still hanging on. Her spirit is not dead.

"Neji…" it is but a whisper but it is filled with so much emotion that his throat tightens and he blinks back his own tears. "Is…am I dreaming?"

"No." he reassured her. "This is very real. We've come to take you and Rashi home." His smile was wry "You have no idea the hell Hanabi has been putting Kimura's officials through."

The smile strengthened "I'm…I…Neji…I…"

His lips moved over hers, effectively ending her attempts at a sentence "You don't have to say anything. I already know."

She continued to stare at him as if he were some sort of ghost or hallucination. He remained silent as her hands moved over his face, gripped his arms, drifted through his hair. Then, like before with Rashi, she pulled herself against him, her shoulders shaking as she cried in relief. Like before he held her in his arms.

He didn't deserve her but now that he had her back, he was too selfish to let her go. She was his to love and protect. Never again would he allow himself to forget that.

-----

AN: According to Jeffrey's Japanese/English dictionary, 'Rashi' means 'screw'. For those who don't know, that is also what Neji's name means. Because Hinata named him as such it was the reason he suspected that the boy was his…in case that had been a little confusing.

I know the boy sounds older than what he is, but that's exactly the point. He is supposed to be a genius, one that has the potential to surpass even his father. I hope he still seems child-like even though he's all intelligent and stuff. Meh.

I hope you enjoyed it!


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